Leave Heroku for a server you own.
Heroku-style git-push deploys for Django, on infrastructure you control. Appliku sets up and manages the server, so you never have to manage it yourself. On any paid plan, we move your app for you, live.
No credit card required.
Trusted by over 7,800 teams to run their apps in production.
In short
Appliku is a managed deployment platform that gives you Heroku-style git-push deploys on a server you own, on any cloud (DigitalOcean, AWS, Hetzner, or any VPS). As a Heroku alternative, it is built for Django and Python teams (FastAPI, Rails, and Next.js too) that want to cut hosting costs and avoid vendor lock-in without managing the server themselves: Appliku sets up and maintains the server, and you just push code.
Heroku stopped moving. Your bill didn't.
In February 2026, Salesforce moved Heroku into sustaining engineering (maintenance mode) and stopped selling Heroku Enterprise to new customers. The platform still runs, but the roadmap is frozen, and the pricing that made you look elsewhere has not changed.
Most people stay anyway, because leaving sounds like a second job: provisioning servers, Nginx, SSL, backups, deploys. That fear is the real reason the invoice keeps getting paid.
Appliku removes the fear. You get the same push-to-deploy workflow on a server you own, and we manage the server for you.
The math most Heroku users never run
A typical small production app, running one web process, a worker, Postgres, and Redis.
- On Heroku (two dynos, Postgres, Redis add-on)
- about $140/mo
- On Appliku + your own server (Growth $18/mo + a $12 to $24 VPS)
- about $30 to $42/mo
- You keep
- about $100/mo, over $1,200 a year
Example scenario for illustration. Your numbers depend on your app, provider, and plan. You bring your own cloud account, so you pay the provider directly and the server stays yours. Prices from Heroku and DigitalOcean, checked July 2026.
Developers who already left Heroku
"Switching from Heroku to AWS + Appliku revolutionized our business, delivering significant savings and newfound flexibility."
"You get the best of both worlds, a PaaS like experience, but it's your cloud servers where you can control costs and increase resources."
"I managed to migrate an application from Heroku in under 10 minutes."
Moving a live app sounds risky. So we do it for you.
On any paid plan, request a free migration. We get on a screen-share and move your app onto a server you own, together, usually in one session. You watch it happen and you own the result. Coming from Heroku is what we do best.
Everything you liked about Heroku. None of the lock-in.
What you keep
- Git push to deploy
- Managed Postgres, Redis, and more
- Background and queue workers (Celery)
- Automatic SSL and Nginx
- Custom domains
What you gain
- A server you own, on any provider
- Flat, predictable pricing
- No dyno tax, no vendor lock-in
- Root SSH access when you want it
- Automated database backups
- Always on, no cold starts
Appliku vs Heroku vs doing it yourself
| Appliku | Heroku | DIY (your own scripts) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Flat $0 to $39, plus your server | Rises with every dyno | Free, but your time |
| Who runs the server | Appliku | Heroku (you never see it) | You |
| Server ownership | Yes, on any provider | No | Yes |
| Push to deploy | Yes | Yes | Build it yourself |
| SSL and Nginx | Automatic | Automatic | Manual |
| Setup time | Under 5 minutes | Under 5 minutes | Hours |
| Vendor lock-in | None | High | None |
| Migration help | Free, done with you | Not applicable | You |
Curious about your own numbers? See what you'd save with our Heroku cost calculator.
How the move works
1
Connect a server
Add a cloud provider account or point Appliku at a fresh Ubuntu box. Any provider that is reachable from the internet works.
2
We move your app, live
On a paid plan, request your free migration. We deploy your app, database, and workers on a screen-share, together, and test before cutover.
3
You own it
The server sits in your own account. Push to git and Appliku deploys, the same workflow you had on Heroku.
Questions Heroku users ask
- Do I have to manage the server myself?
- No. Appliku sets up and maintains the server: web server, SSL, deploys, and the runtime. You get root SSH if you ever want it, but you never need it.
- Will my app go down during the migration?
- We set up the new server alongside your Heroku app and cut over when it is ready, so downtime is minimal. You can test on the new server before you switch DNS.
- What happens to my database?
- We move it for you. Postgres, Redis, and other databases run in containers on your server, and paid plans include automated backups.
- What if something breaks?
- We do the migration with you on a screen-share, so problems get solved on the call. After that, email support is included on paid plans.
- What does it cost?
- Start free, no credit card. The done-for-you migration is included on any paid plan, from $18/mo. You pay your cloud provider directly for the server.
- Which frameworks do you support?
- Django and Python are our core. FastAPI, Rails, and Next.js work too.
Ready to leave Heroku?
Start free, deploy a real app to your own server, then let us migrate the rest. No credit card required.